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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: rash · leaves · cue · rush · game · lash · branch · rule

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rush — hurry
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — a law
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rule — government
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — a series
  24. cue — for pool

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