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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: cue · ball · wound · plane · current · stick · bank · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a great time
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — electric

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