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

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — high quality
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — money
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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