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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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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: tear · tube · pit · last · face · pass · lash · root

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — to confront
  6. pit — a hole
  7. last — to go on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — finally
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — the cause
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tear — from crying
  22. last — final
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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