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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: ground · rush · spring · suit · wake · lash · lie · fork

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — in a road
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — to fit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spring — of water
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ground — the earth

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