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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: spring · mate · bay · rash · content · present · stand · spell

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. content — the amount
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — happy
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — a short time
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spell — letters

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