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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: rash · rush · pitcher · chest · tube · lie · bore · sharp

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chest — a box
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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