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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: club · rest · rash · rule · cabinet · craft

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — boats
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. club — a group

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