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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · march · plane · lash · land · club · track · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. track — to keep track
  3. club — for golf
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — ground
  11. march — music
  12. track — a song
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. track — a path
  24. lean — thin

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