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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.

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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: kick · land · date · fall · plane · cap · rock · track

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — to come down
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — a stone
  6. track — a song
  7. land — a country
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — a lid
  11. track — to keep track
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rock — music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. land — ground
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kick — in football

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