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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.

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: hide · plane · track · mine · cell · current · date · content

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. date — the fruit
  11. current — happening now
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — the amount
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — to keep track
  19. current — of water
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. content — happy
  24. date — on the calendar

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