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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · spell · content · hide · date · ball · rash · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. content — the amount
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spring — the season
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lean — thin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — of water
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — letters
  24. spring — a coil

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