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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: rush · mouse · temple · stem · game · craft · rule · last

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rule — government
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — final
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — finally
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. game — a match
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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