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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: track · dip · mouse · field · plane · fall · saw · cabinet

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. field — farmland
  7. fall — the season
  8. track — to keep track
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — a song
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. field — a subject
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — for sport
  22. track — a path
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. plane — in geometry

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