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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 · file · date · tear · suit · spell · march · rest

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — a short time
  3. suit — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. date — the fruit
  9. file — a tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — clothes
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a document

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