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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · rule · root · cue · fine · fan · hide · bound

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — a law
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rule — government
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — for pool

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