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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: tear · face · present · net · track · mate · plane · pop

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. track — to keep track
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. present — a gift
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mate — a friend
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pop — soda
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. track — a song
  15. net — in sport
  16. pop — music
  17. present — there
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — a tool
  21. track — a path
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — part of the head
  24. net — after costs

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