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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: lash · leaves · field · roll · mate · fork · can · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. roll — a list
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — to be able to
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — a tin
  23. field — farmland
  24. leaves — of a tree

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