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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: drill · suit · chair · branch · lash · court · cue · rush

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cue — for pool
  3. drill — army training
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — a practice
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of a king
  23. suit — in cards
  24. court — for sport

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