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

Word bank: cue · cap · current · pass · chair · tear · foot · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — a hat
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. current — happening now
  23. foot — a measure
  24. current — electric

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