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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: wave · rule · lash · roll · march · cue · deal · swing

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. roll — a list
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rule — government
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cue — a hint
  8. roll — a cake
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. march — music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. swing — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wave — of the sea

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