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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: can · clip · club · plane · pitcher · bowl · face · lie

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. can — to be able to
  6. club — a group
  7. clip — a video
  8. club — for dancing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lie — to recline
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — to cut
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — for paper
  24. face — to confront

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