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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — obliged
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — finally
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — tied together
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rule — a law
  12. craft — boats
  13. last — to go on
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — government
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. last — final

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