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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: temple · hide · ruler · cold · straw · date · cabinet · craft

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — boats
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cold — not warm
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — for measuring

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