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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 116 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: staff · fall · key · tube · current · track · hide · plane

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — a path
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — happening now
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a song
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. key — for a lock
  15. staff — a stick
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — in music

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