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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.

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 · fan · cell · chair · ruler · rest · rash · spring

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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. spring — of water
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — the season
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rash — a series
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rest — a break

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