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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: rule · last · rush · craft · coach · cabinet · straw · bowl

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rule — government
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a skill
  24. last — finally

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