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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.

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: lie · wind · rash · cue · snap · chair · can · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to click

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