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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: spell · fork · chest · kid · foot · bulb · season · mate

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — a box
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spell — letters
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. kid — child
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — to tease
  20. season — of the year
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mate — a friend

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