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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: cell · fine · cabinet · rush · lie · mark · rash · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — a series
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a line
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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