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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — in a race
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a hole

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