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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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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: lie · cue · face · deal · band · fork · rash · rush

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to confront
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — a hint
  20. face — part of the head
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — in a road

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