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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 · kick · suit · bank · fork · roll · mug · lie

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. suit — in cards
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — a face
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — in football
  12. roll — a list
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — in a road
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. roll — on a roll

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