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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: kick · sharp · rush · tube · lie · suit · foot · cap

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tube — a container
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. suit — in cards
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kick — 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