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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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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: cabinet · cold · deal · cell · lie · ruler · shower · suit

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. shower — rain
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — in cards
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — in biology
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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