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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: craft · fall · pass · field · cue · lie · band · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a music group
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. field — for sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — boats
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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