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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: stand · last · cell · craft · bass · ruler · arm · cap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cap — of ice
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. last — finally
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cell — in a prison

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