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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: mine · march · rule · object · rest · craft

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. object — an aim
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — government

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