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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — all right
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. content — happy
  7. spring — of water
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fine — high quality
  20. game — wild animals
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a match

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