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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: deal · spring · bear · fork · mate · wind · ball · lie

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — the season
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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