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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
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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: toast · ball · file · face · cap · lie · clip · suit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a great time
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ball — a dance
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lie — to recline
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. face — to confront
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — to fit

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