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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: track · toast · lie · hide · saw · game · can · plane

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. track — a song
  11. toast — bread
  12. lie — to recline
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a path
  24. game — a match

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