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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · plane · cue · drill · saw · press · wake · cell

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cell — a phone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. board — a committee
  12. cue — a signal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. drill — army training
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. drill — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. cell — in biology
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. board — to get on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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