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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · tube · dip · chair · nail · plane · chest · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — a song
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — to keep track

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