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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · rush · stem · ruler · mine · wound · chair

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rash — hasty
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — in music

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