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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
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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: face · root · saw · rush · suit · season · trunk · bore

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — to confront
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — clothes
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of a car

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