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

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kid — child
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chest — a box
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bank — for money

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