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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: suit · rest · shower · rush · bound · arm · cue · rash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — tied together
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rash — hasty
  11. suit — in cards
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. rash — a series
  21. shower — rain
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cue — for pool
  24. shower — to wash

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