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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: tube · mug · cue · rule · wind · temple · spring · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — the season
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spring — of water
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. temple — a place of worship

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