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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 · row · staff · band · chip · plane · lash · roll

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a signal
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. roll — a list
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — to paddle
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. band — a music group
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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