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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: last · content · fan · mug · lean · track · trunk · net

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. track — a path
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. track — to keep track
  11. last — finally
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — a song
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. last — final

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