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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. scale — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pop — music
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cabinet — ministers

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