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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: fall · season · wake · cue · rash · hand · perch · rush

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rash — a series
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  24. wake — a trail

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