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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: patient · lie · racket · stick · stand · hand · foot · chair

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — help
  5. chair — a leader
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chair — a professorship

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