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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 · fall · kick · fork · spring · lie · leaves · fine

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — in football

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