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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: plane · pit · spell · ruler · mug · tear · track · wind

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. spell — letters
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a song
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tear — from crying

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