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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: bay · plane · track · spring · snap · wave · hide · date

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — the season
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to click
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. track — a song
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. track — a path
  22. spring — of water
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wave — of the sea

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