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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — thin
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ground — a position
  10. toast — bread
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. track — a path
  14. net — for catching
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — in sport
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. track — a song
  22. chip — for betting
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chip — to eat

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