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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: rock · sharp · craft · chest · rule · rest · safe · temple

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — what's left

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