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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: straw · bound · leaves · kick · stock · craft · coach · fork

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — shares
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fork — a garden tool

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