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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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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 · pop · fork · rock · ball · mouse · spell · bank

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — soda
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — a stone

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