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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: mouse · plane · saw · kick · pop · temple · fall · cue

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — to visit
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — in football

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