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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: spring · dip · suit · rule · lie · pop · march · cue

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spring — of water
  3. suit — to fit
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — government
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pop — soda
  8. march — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pop — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cue — a hint
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — an untruth

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