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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.

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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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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: stick · cabinet · craft · kid · pound · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kid — to tease
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kid — child
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — to confront
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pound — for dogs

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