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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: fork · content · kick · mate · lean · present

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lean — thin
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — to breed
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. content — the amount
  11. present — a gift
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. content — happy
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fork — to eat with

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