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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bank — for money
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bank — for money

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