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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: suit · fork · season · drill · spell · coach · wake · mine

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — of the year
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spell — a short time
  6. suit — to fit
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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