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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: band · leaves · rule · last · bore · craft · jam · arm

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. band — a ring
  6. craft — a skill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. last — final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. last — finally
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a music group
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — boats
  19. rule — government
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — to go on
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. jam — in traffic

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