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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 116 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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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: cue · fall · saw · key · lash · race · rush · rest

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rest — a break
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — in music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. race — a contest
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cue — a signal

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