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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: lash · fine · row · mate · season · root · saw · band

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — the cause
  9. row — a line
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. band — a music group
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — a penalty

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