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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · court · rash · craft · ruler · trunk · last · stand

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rash — a series
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — final
  18. court — of law
  19. rash — hasty
  20. last — to go on
  21. bat — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. bat — for baseball

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