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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: craft · net · cabinet · cold · cue · lie · saw · toast

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. net — in sport
  16. toast — bread
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — for pool

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