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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 · land · club · season · fan · roll · lie · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. roll — a cake
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — for golf
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — to recline
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. content — happy
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

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