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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rock — a stone
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — for pool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rock — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — wild animals
  24. track — a song

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