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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
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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: lie · present · leaves · fork · firm · spell · trunk · capital

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. capital — money
  8. firm — steady
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. capital — a city
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. firm — decided
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — a company

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