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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: lash · fan · rush · bound · cue · kid · last · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. last — finally
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. last — to go on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — final
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — a straw man

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