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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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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: cap · lie · court · present · bear · date · fork · fall

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — a gift
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. present — the time now
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fall — the season
  22. date — the fruit
  23. present — there
  24. cap — of ice

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