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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: lash · cue · chest · bore · temple · date · craft · rule

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. date — the fruit
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — to drill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cue — a signal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — government
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — a law

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