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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · bass · chair · mug · spring · wake · prune · fork

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spring — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spring — of water
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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