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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rush · mine · mate · lie · row · craft · court

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. rule — a law
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rule — government
  17. row — to paddle
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. court — of law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — an explosive

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