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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 120 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: hide · ruler · bowl · cabinet · cold · dip · board · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rule — government
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a committee
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. board — to get on

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