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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: cell · rock · tube · rash · fan · wake · mine · rush

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — a phone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rash — a series
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rush — to hurry

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