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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. field — for sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — in cards
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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