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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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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: leaves · wake · pit · perch · track · plane · mine · tear

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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