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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: stick · lash · chest · game · cue · plane · current · bore

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a match
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — a box
  19. cue — a hint
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — for pool

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