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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cue — for pool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tube — the underground
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. capital — money
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. clip — a video
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stand — for spectators

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