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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: wind · saw · craft · kick · cue · kid · rock · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — a signal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pass — to spend time

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