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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 116 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 · mine · suit · rest · season · land · fork · coach

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rest — a break
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — to come down
  24. season — in sport

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