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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: season · pop · trunk · lean · toast · calf · charge · can

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — soda
  3. toast — bread
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pop — music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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