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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: straw · squash · plane · cue · object · charge · sharp · hand

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — a hint
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. object — an aim
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — to protest

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