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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: deal · track · mate · object · cell · tear · hide · plane

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — an aim
  5. track — a path
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. plane — a tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tear — to rip
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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