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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: fork · dip · row · leaves · stock · bulb · date · lie

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. row — a line
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — to recline
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — to paddle
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — a sauce

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