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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. season — in sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — of water
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spring — the season
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rash — a series
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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