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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 · stand · race · ruler · dip · patient · spell · kick

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kick — in football
  13. spell — letters
  14. race — a contest
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — a leader
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kick — with a leg

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