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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · lean · deal · fan · rule · march · rush · temple

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — a law
  6. rush — hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. march — music
  16. rule — government
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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