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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: spell · rest · march · date · rash · season · fall · stand

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spell — letters
  11. fall — the season
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. date — the fruit
  17. march — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stand — for spectators

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