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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 · pit · kick · rush · cap · rash · roll · chip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I seem to be developing 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. cap — of ice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — a container
  6. roll — a list
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — a series
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — in football
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rash — on the skin
  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