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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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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: chair · foot · patient · ruler · mug · shower · swing · kick

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a cup
  10. swing — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a face
  17. foot — a measure
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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