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

Word bank: craft · rule · chest · mate · stick · bank

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chest — a box
  6. rule — government
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bank — for money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rule — a law
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. craft — boats
  18. bank — for money

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