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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.

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: rest · plane · net · wind · cue · bark · scale · spring

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cue — a hint
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — for catching
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. bark — to shout
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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