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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: field · pass · spell · lean · mine · arm · season · root

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — a short time
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lean — thin
  19. season — in sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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