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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bank — of a river
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — to breed

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