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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: rush · drill · chair · stem · kid · board · foot · fine

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kid — to tease
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. board — to get on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — army training
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stem — of a plant

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