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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: craft · game · temple · hide · rule · bore · ruler · chair

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. craft — boats
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a match
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — government
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. ruler — for measuring

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