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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bound — certain
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hand — in cards
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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