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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: chair · fork · kid · leaves · present · perch · lean · suit

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — in a road
  4. perch — the fish
  5. suit — in cards
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. kid — child
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — a leader
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lean — thin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. present — a gift

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