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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: stick · snap · bark · cue · saw · mate · plane · tube

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — a partner
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — a hint
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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