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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
468
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: last · lie · season · safe · date · lash · fork · ground

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. season — of the year
  9. fork — in a road
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — a position
  24. safe — out of danger

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