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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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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: rule · craft · nail · kid · wake · bore · court · mouse

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. craft — boats
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. court — of a king
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bore — to tire

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