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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: board · cell · cue · bank · lash · rule · row · tube

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — government
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. row — a line
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rule — a law
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cell — in biology
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. board — a committee

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