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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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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: fine · plane · ground · snap · band · dip · mark · track

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ground — a position
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. snap — to click
  14. ground — the earth
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. plane — a tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — all right
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. track — a path
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — crushed

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