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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: season · leaves · craft · content · bulb · hide · fork · clip

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — to cut
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — the amount
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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