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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: mark · season · craft · wake · ball · land · trunk · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. land — ground
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — a country
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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