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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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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: pound · ball · snap · lie · spring · bulb · fork · straw

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — of a plant

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