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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 116 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: stand · rush · rest · saw · spell · cue · fan · lean

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — a break
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — magic

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