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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 · fork · bore · degree · row · lie · hand · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spring — of water
  15. row — a line
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. spring — a coil

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