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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: hand · lean · kick · season · rule · fork · arm · field

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — for sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — farmland
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rule — a law
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. field — a subject
  21. season — in sport
  22. kick — in football
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — thin

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