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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: last · foot · fine · wound · toast · track · fan · hide

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — all right
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. last — finally
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. toast — bread

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