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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: leaves · straw · land · race · staff · trunk · kid · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kid — child
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. kid — to tease
  9. land — a country
  10. race — the arms race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — to come down
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. race — a contest
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. staff — a stick
  22. land — ground
  23. race — humankind
  24. fork — a garden tool

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