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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 116 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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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: cabinet · pass · band · lie · object · mate · cell · craft

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — boats
  9. cell — a phone
  10. object — an aim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cell — in biology
  17. object — to protest
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — a thing

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