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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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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: cue · ruler · season · craft · pitcher · wind · fall · saw

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cue — a hint
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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