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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 120 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: tube · rash · net · face · stick · bear · ruler · fan

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — after costs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — a container
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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