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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: hide · chair · stem · drill · degree · mug · foot · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — temperature
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — army training
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the 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