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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: mate · pit · lie · jam · spring · rule · fork · bear

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mate — to breed
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mate — a partner
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rule — government

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