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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.

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: lie · leaves · spring · perch · straw · lean · fork · charge

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. charge — in control
  3. lean — thin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spring — a coil
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. charge — a price
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fork — in a road

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