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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: face · pitcher · lie · wave · wind · fork · bound · tube

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — a container

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