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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: pass · root · racket · toast · hand · season · saw · lie

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — in sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. root — of a word
  12. season — of the year
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. root — the cause
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — to recline
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — bread
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — help

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