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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 116 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: track · mark · trunk · wind · rash · fine · lean · fan

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lean — thin
  24. rash — hasty

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