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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: game · snap · key · board · cue · tear · rash · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. game — wild animals
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a match
  15. key — in music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — a hint
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — for a lock
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. rash — a series

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