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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: straw · track · field · mark · plane · last · mine · safe

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mark — a trace
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — to go on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. field — for sport
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a song
  14. last — finally
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — for digging
  18. last — final
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — to keep track

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