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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: track · lash · mark · net · fan · leaves · temple · pop

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pop — soda
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — for catching
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — a path
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — a supporter

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