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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: lie · cap · game · plane · bass · mark · spring · bore

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — of ice
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — a grade
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. game — a match
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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