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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: wind · date · cabinet · content · mate · fork · can · lie

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mate — to breed
  4. content — happy
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mate — a friend
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. date — the fruit
  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