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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. content — the amount
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. content — happy
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — of water
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lash — to lash out

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