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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · race · mug · pit · tube · temple · hand · rush

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — humankind
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — a face
  24. temple — side of the head

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