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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: march · wind · dip · rush · hide · deal · spell · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spell — letters
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — a big deal

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