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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: rush · perch · cabinet · lie · row · cold · game · cap

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. row — a line
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — to paddle
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. row — a quarrel

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