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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.

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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: rest · hand · cue · snap · dip · wake · fine · plane

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — help
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. snap — to click
  20. wake — a trail
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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