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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a tool
  5. row — a line
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a document
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. roll — a cake
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — obliged
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. file — a line of people
  24. roll — a list

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