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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · wake · cell · cabinet · drill · mug

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mug — a cup
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wake — before a funeral

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