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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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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: bay · mate · foot · bank · date · lie · fork · file

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — in a road
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. file — a tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. date — the fruit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bank — for money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — of a river
  21. file — a document
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fork — to eat with

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