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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.

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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.

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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: track · wake · mate · perch · stand · kick · present · plane

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — a song
  9. present — there
  10. mate — to breed
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. track — to keep track
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kick — in football
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — a partner

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