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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 124 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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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: staff · fork · straw · object · kick · cell

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. object — a thing
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. object — an aim
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — in football
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — to protest
  18. staff — employees

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