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

Word bank: rock · bat · suit · plane · racket · wind · cue · shower

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rock — music
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. suit — in cards
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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