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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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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: wave · plane · pound · straw · present · cue · suit · lash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. suit — in cards
  13. present — there
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pound — to hit hard

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