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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: lean · lash · last · plane · pop · staff · sharp · cue

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — final
  21. sharp — clever
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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