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

Word bank: cabinet · cold · deal · cell · lie · ruler

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology

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