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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: craft · vault · mate · ruler · rest · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — to breed
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. craft — boats
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. land — a country
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — to come down

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