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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · track · march · toast · mug · lean · plane · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — a cup
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — child
  8. net — for catching
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — the month
  14. track — to keep track
  15. net — after costs
  16. toast — bread
  17. march — music
  18. mug — a face
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a path
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mug — to rob
  24. plane — in geometry

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