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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: suit · sharp · court · track · mouse · tear · plane · mine

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — to keep track
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. court — of law
  17. track — a song
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. track — a path
  20. court — of a king
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. suit — clothes
  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