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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · row · wave · wound · mate · object · trunk · chair

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. object — to protest
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. row — to paddle
  11. object — a thing
  12. row — a line
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chair — a leader
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com