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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 120 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: field · lie · deal · spring · squash · tube · mug · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tube — a container
  3. mug — a face
  4. spring — the season
  5. squash — to crush
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. field — a subject
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lie — to recline

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