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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: lash · chip · track · march · board · bound · date · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. track — a path
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. march — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — obliged
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — the month
  20. date — the fruit
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. track — a song

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