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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: drill · jam · hide · cue · stick · wake · plane · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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