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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 120 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.

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 · lie · plane · season · trunk · degree · hide · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — from a university
  7. track — a song
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. season — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. track — a path
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — of the year
  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