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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 120 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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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: lean · foot · mark · rash · craft · bulb · season · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — hasty
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — boats
  16. season — of the year
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. craft — a skill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — a measure

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