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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: leaves · lean · key · fork · straw · hand

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

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

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