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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
468
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: row · net · wake · lash · bank · hide · plane · cue

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a line
  3. cue — for pool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — a trail
  11. net — in sport
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — after costs
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hide — to keep secret

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