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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: drill · face · plane · mark · track · bank · saw · stand

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. track — a song
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — army training
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mark — a trace

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