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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · hand · cue · craft · bass · lash · row · plane

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bass — low music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a line
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cap — a lid
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. craft — boats
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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