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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: tube · clip · wave · lie · plane · fork · scale · chair

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. scale — in music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — to recline
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chair — a leader
  11. clip — for paper
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. plane — in geometry

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