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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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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: present · fork · bowl · season · bulb · squash · snap · wind

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. present — there
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. present — a gift
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — of the year
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — the time now
  20. snap — to click
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. squash — the sport

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