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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 120 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: rash · stick · saw · deal · hand · kick · mouse · tube

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tube — a container
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — a series
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — in football
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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