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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: leaves · fan · coach · lean · content · pop · last · track

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. track — to keep track
  3. last — finally
  4. content — the amount
  5. pop — soda
  6. track — a song
  7. pop — to visit
  8. last — final
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — happy
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a path
  14. lean — thin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pop — music
  24. last — to go on

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