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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — in cards
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — to fit
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a line
  24. hand — part of the body

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