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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: spring · lie · saw · jam · scale · fork · spell · leaves

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — of water
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — magic
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spring — the season
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — letters
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — the tool

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