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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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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: fork · bound · pitch · wave · fall · bay · lie · spring

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bound — certain
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bound — tied together

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