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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: craft · bay · plane · cold · wave · lie · cabinet · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. craft — boats
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — a tool

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