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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.

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 · lie · kick · plane · rush · lash · hand · swing

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. plane — a tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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