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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
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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 · fan · suit · last · saw · root · rest · pound

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. root — of a plant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. spell — a short time
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pound — a weight
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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