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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: spring · row · mark · key · rash · cabinet · deal · ruler

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spring — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. row — a line
  12. spring — of water
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — a coil

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