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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 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a lid
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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