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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — an aim
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — a thing
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — a short time
  23. object — to protest
  24. season — in sport

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