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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 120 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: craft · tube · bear · saw · bank · content · scale · face

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — part of the head
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tube — a container
  16. face — to point toward
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. craft — boats
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bear — the animal

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