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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: row · coach · cabinet · toast · root · bat · lie · ruler

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — the cause
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — bread
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — the animal

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