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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: saw · lie · tear · spell · rest · last · rush · perch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. last — final
  7. spell — letters
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — finally
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rest — a break
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — to recline
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — magic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — a thrill

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