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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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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: cap · pound · craft · kick · rule · tear

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rule — a law
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — in football
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — to hit hard

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