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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — in cards
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to bend
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. key — in music
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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