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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.

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: fork · spring · leaves · temple · spell · mouse · plane · land

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spring — a coil
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. land — a country
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. spring — the season

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