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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: cue · wake · plane · lash · wind · cell · fine · stand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. cell — in a prison

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