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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: face · tube · plane · object · mark · chip · clip · band

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. object — a thing
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mark — a grade
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. band — a ring
  13. clip — a video
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — to cut
  17. object — an aim
  18. band — a music group
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. clip — for paper
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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