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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · pop · lie · bulb · mine · fork

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pop — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lie — an untruth

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