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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.

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 · tube · lie · chair · ball · stand · cue · lash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rash — on the skin

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