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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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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: bay · rock · lie · bound · bowl · fork · mark · spell

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — letters
  7. rock — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a grade

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