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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 116 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: key · scale · face · file · leaves · fan · race · clip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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 — to point toward
  3. race — humankind
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. key — the most important part
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — a contest
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

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