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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: file · root · roll · season · current · saw · rush · can

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. current — happening now
  7. file — a document
  8. current — electric
  9. root — of a plant
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — of a word
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — the cause
  23. current — of water
  24. can — a tin

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