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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — of the year
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — in a road
  9. suit — clothes
  10. object — an aim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. object — to protest
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. root — of a word
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. object — a thing

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