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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: rush · cap · rash · straw · row · kick · cue · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rash — a series
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cap — a lid
  8. row — a line
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cue — a signal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. kick — in football
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rash — on the skin

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