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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: spell · present · content · mark · season · craft · perch · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spell — magic
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — letters
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. mark — a grade
  17. content — the amount
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to bend
  20. perch — the fish
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — a short time
  24. season — in sport

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