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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 116 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: hide · plane · fine · race · rock · track · capital · snap

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. capital — a city
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. track — a path
  12. fine — all right
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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