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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · date · lie · ball · spell · firm

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spring — a coil
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — a company
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — steady

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