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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: rash · safe · content · mate · ruler · mark · craft · tear

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — a series
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — the amount

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