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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.

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: rush · branch · fan · spring · rash · mate · bowl · cue

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spring — the season
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. spring — of water
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

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