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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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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: stick · fork · lie · root · mouse · field · straw · fine

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — for sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — all right
  21. root — the cause
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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