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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: craft · mug · rule · bulb · racket · sharp · tear · rash

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mug — a face
  11. rule — a law
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rash — a series
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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