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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: straw · arm · snap · hand · plane · cue · wake · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — in cards
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — a hint
  11. present — there
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to click
  23. cue — a signal
  24. straw — dry grass

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