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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.

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: bowl · temple · clip · file · stand · plane · dip · mug

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. clip — a video
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mug — a face
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a document
  14. clip — for paper
  15. file — a tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mug — a cup
  22. clip — to cut
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — to rob

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