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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: trunk · lash · mark · net · lean · coach · wound · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. foot — part of the body

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