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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a music group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a ring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bat — the animal

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