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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: pop · pass · leaves · chest · mine · dip · plane · track

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — to keep track
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chest — a box
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — lets stay

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