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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: wake · plane · saw · rule · arm · cue · current · mark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called 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. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rule — a law
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rule — government
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. current — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — for pool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. plane — in geometry
  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