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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.

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 · face · lash · date · rash · firm · fork · game

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — steady
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. face — to confront
  16. firm — a company
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — part of the head
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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