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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: safe · content · season · pass · tear · spell · march · root

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. season — of the year
  4. march — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — of a word
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — the cause
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — a permit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — the month
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. content — happy
  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