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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: spell · bulb · field · straw · season · march · hide · vault

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — the month
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. field — a subject
  17. season — of the year
  18. spell — letters
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — for sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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