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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: trunk · lean · toast · can · kid · land · mark · track

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. land — ground
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — child
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. toast — bread

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