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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · wound · plane · mouse · row · cue

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. band — a music group
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. band — a ring
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a hint
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal

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