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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: deal · kick · rush · content · cue · rash · tube · straw

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rash — hasty
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cue — for pool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — with a leg

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