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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
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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 · fork · rule · lie · bass · bank · saw · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bass — low music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rule — a law
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rule — government
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — of water
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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