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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: spring · stick · lean · fork · arm · leaves · lie · safe

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spring — the season

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