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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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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: fork · wound · cue · wave · mine · plane · charge · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — in control
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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