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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: bass · spell · sharp · craft · present · season · safe · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — letters
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — boats
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — there
  22. craft — a skill
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — low music

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