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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spring — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — in a road
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — a box
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — of ice

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