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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — for pool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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