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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: bat · ruler · hide · craft · stand · rule

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rule — government
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — boats

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