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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.

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: lie · bay · mate · object · chair · plane · track · net

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — in sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chair — a leader
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — an aim
  24. plane — an aircraft

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