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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: leaves · stand · tear · swing · season · rash · spell · can

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. swing — in golf
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rash — hasty
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. tear — from crying
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spell — magic
  19. swing — music
  20. rash — a series
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. swing — to play on
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — letters

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