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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: capital · cabinet · ruler · track · dip · lash · fork · roll

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. dip — to sink
  15. capital — money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a list
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fork — in a road
  22. capital — a city
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — a sauce

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