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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 116 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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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: bass · lie · rush · deal · fork · lean · swing · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. swing — music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bass — low music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — the season
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the instrument

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