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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.

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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: fan · leaves · ruler · row · staff · cabinet · bat · dip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — to sink
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. staff — a stick
  6. row — a line
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to dunk

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