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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · mate · kick · rush · fine · present · season · lash

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — in sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — there
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — of the year
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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