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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: snap · saw · lash · ground · scale · cue · staff · bank

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — a position
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. scale — size or range

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