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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · spring · date · mouse · land · lie · nail · stock

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bound — certain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — ground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — the season
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bound — tied together
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stock — goods
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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