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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: spring · ball · face · shower · fork · lie · foot · cabinet

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spring — the season
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fork — in a road
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cabinet — ministers

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