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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: straw · mate · ruler · ground · rule · craft

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rule — government
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — boats
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rule — a law
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ruler — for measuring
  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