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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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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: roll · bore · pound · pass · fall · key · craft · wound

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. roll — a cake
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. key — the most important part
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — in music
  16. fall — the season
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — to tire
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fall — to drop

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