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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: kick · cue · rule · net · rush · wind · charge · jam

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. net — in sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — after costs
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — government
  16. net — for catching
  17. cue — for pool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rule — a law
  24. kick — in football

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