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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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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: face · pop · fall · cue · kid · craft · lash · pass

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pop — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pop — soda
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — boats
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fall — the season
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. face — part of the head

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