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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: rush · chip · root · rock · bound · rash · rest · tube

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bound — certain
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rest — a break
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — the cause
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — a series

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