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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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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: kid · chair · stand · can · rush · calf · current · bore

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kid — child
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — to bear
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — of water
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bore — to drill
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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