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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: fine · rush · game · cap · face · branch · kid · tube

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kid — to tease
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cap — of ice
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kid — child
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rush — a thrill

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