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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: content · face · fan · scale · file · tube · season · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to confront
  8. content — the amount
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — happy
  13. saw — the tool
  14. file — a document
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — of the year

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