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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.

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: plane · coach · clip · stock · ruler · content · kick · tube

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. clip — a video
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — happy
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. clip — for paper

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