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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.

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: leaves · court · row · lash · bore · cabinet · coach · ruler

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of a king
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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