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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: saw · rock · coach · chair · face · wave · suit · kick

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. face — to point toward
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chair — a leader
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kick — in football

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