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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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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: cell · ruler · kick · cabinet · pop · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. row — a quarrel

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