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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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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: saw · mate · object · spell · cell · root · stick · band

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a ring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. root — the cause
  7. cell — in biology
  8. spell — letters
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — magic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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