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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: trunk · net · hide · ball · fan · track · foot · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. track — to keep track
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ball — a dance
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. track — a song
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — in sport
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — for catching
  24. foot — a measure

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