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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: lie · fork · key · drill · spring · bear · ball · game

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spring — the season
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ball — a great time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a dance
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — a practice
  12. game — a match
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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