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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. track — to keep track
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cell — in biology
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. track — a path
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mate — a friend
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to bend

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