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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 120 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: chair · hide · leaves · net · cue · suit · plane · tube

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — in sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. net — after costs
  9. plane — a tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. net — for catching

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