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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 120 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: scale · nail · snap · cue · straw · clip · plane · press

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. snap — to click
  4. clip — for paper
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. scale — in music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. clip — to cut
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — a hint
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. clip — a video
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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