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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: safe · temple · bear · rule · rest · craft · hand · spell

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — help
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rule — a law
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — side of the head

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