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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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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: firm · fork · spring · deal · stick · bound · wake · fall

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bound — certain
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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