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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: spell · season · drill · saw · jam · fan · rest · toast

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. spell — a short time
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. toast — bread
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spell — letters

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