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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: date · mark · bat · hand · hide · bound · plane · lie

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — in cards
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — certain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. bound — obliged
  24. plane — a tool

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