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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 120 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: fan · mark · track · trunk · bay · swing · bore · leaves

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — to keep track
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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