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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
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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 · fork · nail · roll · lean · spring · present · chair

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — the season
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spring — of water
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. present — there
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chair — a professorship

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