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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: cap · perch · bore · craft · drill · lash · rule · ruler

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rule — government
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — a hat
  17. drill — the tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — army training
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — a law
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to drill

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