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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 · rush · present · track · lie · stand · fork · chair

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — the season
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — a song
  18. present — there
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. present — a gift
  23. spring — a coil
  24. track — a path

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