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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.

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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: track · rush · mouse · degree · lie · deal · clip · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a path
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. clip — for paper
  12. track — a song
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rush — hurry
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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