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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: bear · bank · stick · rash · rule · craft

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. craft — boats
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — of a river
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — hasty
  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