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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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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: last · craft · lie · spring · tear · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. tear — from crying
  3. craft — boats
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — final
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill

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