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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 120 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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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: mouse · row · key · bowl · cold · ruler · hide · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mouse — the animal

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