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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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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: dip · rush · tear · deal · tube · cue · racket · race

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cue — for pool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — a container
  17. cue — a signal
  18. race — a contest
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — a hint

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