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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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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 · mug · can · chair · ruler · stem · patient · fall

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — the season
  12. kid — child
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stem — to come from
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — a face
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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