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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive

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