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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: clip · plane · bowl · file · object · content · face · bulb

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — part of the head
  3. clip — for paper
  4. content — the amount
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. object — an aim
  9. content — happy
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — a tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a tool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. file — a document
  24. bowl — a football final

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