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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: season · bulb · craft · hand · mine · spring · mug · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — a face
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — a coil
  6. roll — a list
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — boats
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spring — of water
  16. season — in sport
  17. hand — help
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mug — to rob
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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