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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: bowl · tube · hand · chair · rush · tear · temple · fork

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hand — help
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — a container
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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