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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: lash · bound · bass · dip · fork · season · spring · root

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. spring — the season
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — of a plant
  9. spring — of water
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spring — a coil
  22. season — in sport
  23. bound — certain
  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