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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: rule · lash · leaves · cue · roll · spring · pound · chair

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. roll — a list
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rule — government
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — a law
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — of water

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