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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: clip · face · root · ball · tube · file · coach · band

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a great time
  7. clip — a video
  8. file — a tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. root — the cause
  11. tube — the underground
  12. band — a ring
  13. root — of a word
  14. file — a document
  15. clip — for paper
  16. band — a music group
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. clip — to cut
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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