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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
468
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: season · leaves · wound · key · kid · track · fork · staff

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — a path
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kid — child
  24. staff — a stick

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