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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: face · cue · tube · dip · pop · rash · ground · kid

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rash — hasty
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pop — soda
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tube — a container
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — child

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