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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: cue · tear · craft · pound · stick · file

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a document
  5. craft — boats
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. file — a tool
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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