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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: cabinet · row · last · rule · lie · mark · dip · pop

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rule — a law
  7. pop — soda
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. last — to go on
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. last — finally
  24. pop — music

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