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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.

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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: foot · bowl · rest · plane · cue · stick · spell · hand

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cue — a signal

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