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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: fork · lean · straw · suit · fan · trunk · field · cabinet

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — thin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — a subject
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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