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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: spring · pit · firm · tear · kid · cabinet · pass · craft

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — a permit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — child
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — of water
  8. firm — a company
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spring — a coil
  15. craft — boats
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — the season
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pass — to spend time

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