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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: wake · plane · hide · bulb · shower · mate · track · cell

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — a phone
  8. shower — rain
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. plane — a tool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — to wash

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