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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: tube · key · cue · straw · fall · board · spell · plane

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. board — to get on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — a container
  6. spell — letters
  7. cue — a hint
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. board — a committee
  24. spell — a short time

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