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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: track · net · trunk · lean · straw · hand · firm · charge

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a song
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. track — to keep track
  7. firm — steady
  8. net — in sport
  9. track — a path
  10. firm — decided
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. firm — a company
  14. hand — help
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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