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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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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: plane · sharp · cue · chip · mine · last · lean · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. last — final
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mine — for digging
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — finally
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — to eat
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cue — a signal
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a dance

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