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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.

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: content · trunk · file · march · scale · lean · face · safe

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. scale — size or range
  4. face — part of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. content — the amount
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. content — happy
  23. march — the month
  24. file — a line of people

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