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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: saw · cue · toast · current · lie · fine · rush · march

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — bread
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. current — electric
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — happening now
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. toast — the most admired

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