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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: season · suit · stand · spell · wind · root · branch · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — of the year
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a word
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — the cause

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