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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — of a word
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — a dish

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