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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 120 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: cell · craft · scale · kid · rash · rule

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — a series
  6. cell — in biology
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kid — child
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rule — a law
  12. scale — in music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — government
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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