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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · rock · ruler · lie · craft · degree · rash · coach

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — boats
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bat — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. degree — from a university
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rash — a series
  24. rock — music

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