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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: arm · shower · present · ruler · plane · cue · clip · rock

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. shower — to wash
  12. clip — a video
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. present — the time now
  24. arm — part of the body

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