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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: hide · mug · tube · mate · pitch · lie · rush · rule

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mug — a face
  24. rule — a law

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