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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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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: leaves · mine · saw · lash · spell · suit · chair · season

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. suit — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mine — for digging
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — letters
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — magic
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in 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