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

Word bank: straw · fork · stem · net · bear · pass · pound · leaves

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. net — after costs
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. net — in sport
  12. pound — a weight
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. leaves — to go away

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