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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: rash · hand · chair · suit · bore · kick · mug · stem

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mug — a face
  3. hand — in cards
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — to rob
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — clothes

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