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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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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: cabinet · lie · track · club · press · fork · lean · staff

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. club — for golf
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. fork — in a road
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — thin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — a group
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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