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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lie — to recline
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — a country
  23. spring — of water
  24. fork — to eat with

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