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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 · fork · rush · deal · lash · tube · tear · bowl

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lash — an eyelash

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