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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 116 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
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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: cue · tear · pit · last · firm · rash · rush · mark

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. last — final
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — a series
  24. mark — a trace

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