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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — for paper
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. clip — to cut
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tube — the underground
  22. clip — a video
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. press — a publisher

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