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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · file · roll · stand · root · tube · hand · face

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hand — in cards
  3. roll — a cake
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. roll — a list
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. root — of a word

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