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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — of the year
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  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