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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: fan · hand · pass · tear · foot · roll · rock · face

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hand — help
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rock — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. roll — a list
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. foot — a measure
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fan — a supporter

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