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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: fall · cue · kick · capital · saw · rush · lash · fan

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cue — a hint
  14. capital — a city
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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