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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · stick · rash · cue · dip · tube

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tube — a container
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — hasty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. 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