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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 120 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: ruler · prune · kick · patient · lie · stand · chest · current

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — happening now
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kick — in football
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — a box
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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