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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: cue · band · snap · rule · plane · fork · vault · face

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. face — to confront
  5. snap — to click
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cue — a hint
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cue — for pool

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