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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: date · bound · spell · kick · fall · season · fork · sharp

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. kick — in football
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — in sport
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fall — the season
  16. season — of the year
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — a thrill

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