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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · current · stem · kid · present · fine · bore · chair

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — to rob
  6. current — electric
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — happening now
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mug — a face
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. present — a gift
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mug — a cup
  17. kid — child
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. current — of water
  20. fine — all right
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. present — there
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — to drill

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