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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 120 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: kid · leaves · key · wake · lean · mark · fan · track

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. kid — to tease
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kid — child
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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