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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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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: track · lie · pass · temple · face · lash · fall · patient

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — the season
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. track — a path
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — a song
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — a permit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. temple — side of the head

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