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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: field · lie · ball · bulb · kick · date · last · pass

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. last — final
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — to go on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ball — a dance
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — finally
  24. lie — an untruth

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