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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: plane · nail · hide · file · band · cue · net · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. band — a music group
  10. net — in sport
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. file — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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