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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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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: cue · pass · dip · face · pound · wound · saw · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. craft — boats
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pound — a weight
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a signal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cue — a hint

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