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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: wave · cap · track · mate · hide · face · rash · plane

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — in geometry

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