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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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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: cell · cue · swing · lash · club · rest · rush · content

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — a signal
  5. content — happy
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — the amount
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rest — a break
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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