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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: firm · tube · ruler · kid · chair · rash · can · mouse

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. firm — steady
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — child
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — the underground
  24. firm — a company

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