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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 · kick · club · date · tube · nail · toast · fall

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for dancing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. toast — bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — a thrill

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