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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: clip · plane · wound · cue · band · lash

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. band — a music group
  5. clip — a video
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cue — a hint
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wound — an injury
  15. clip — to cut
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cue — a signal

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