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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · kick · chair · face · prune · tube · rush · deal

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — to confront
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kick — in football
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — part of the head
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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