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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · deal · spell · rash · drill · pitcher · root · lie

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. spell — a short time
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lie — an untruth

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