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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: plane · rock · bowl · wake · mate · tear · track · ruler

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. track — a song
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. track — a path
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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