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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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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — final
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — to go on
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. last — finally
  14. object — a thing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. fork — in a road
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — an aim

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