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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: rush · fan · cue · degree · wound · dip · rest · rash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — a series
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cue — for pool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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