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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · land · rest · saw · lie · row · current · vault

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — happening now
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — electric
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — a line
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — ground
  24. saw — the tool

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