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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 120 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: hand · tube · object · pass · fan · ground · dip · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — to protest
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — an aim
  14. face — to confront
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — help
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — in cards

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