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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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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: mate · hide · plane · cue · net · rock · spring · wound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — a coil
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — the season
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — a partner

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