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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: coach · stick · rash · cue · dip · tube · sharp · rule

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — a law
  4. cue — a hint
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rash — hasty
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — government
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — a series
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. sharp — clever
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — for pool

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