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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: lie · fork · rock · season · field · lash · date · rush

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. field — for sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — farmland
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — of the year
  24. field — a subject

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