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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: season · key · wake · sharp · rule · root · drill · saw

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — in sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. root — the cause
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — government
  24. key — the most important part

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