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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.

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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: saw · root · fan · season · rock · bore · land · spell

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — a country
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spell — magic
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — to come down
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — to tire

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