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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: date · spell · rest · snap · season · plane · saw · suit

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rest — a break
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — the fruit
  19. snap — to click
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — magic

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