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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: plane · rest · cue · snap · hand · net · charge · club

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cue — for pool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — a price
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. snap — to click
  12. hand — help
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — in control
  17. net — for catching
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — a hint
  23. club — a group
  24. charge — electricity

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