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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: rash · deal · lie · wake · rush · tube · squash · chip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — a series
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — to eat
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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