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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: ruler · dip · row · stock · cabinet · spring · lash · bore

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. spring — of water
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to sink
  20. spring — the season
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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