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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 116 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: chair · rash · wind · craft · cap · bore · ruler · straw

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chair — a leader
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ruler — a monarch

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