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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · row · mouse · sharp · object · kick · field · ruler

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. field — farmland
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a line
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — for sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kick — a thrill

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