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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
468
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: lash · craft · bay · season · content · spring · leaves · bore

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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