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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.

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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: ruler · lash · season · content · bay · ball · bulb · clip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. content — the amount
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — in sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ball — a dance

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