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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — decided
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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