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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: craft · season · rush · band · cabinet · wax · tear · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. season — of the year
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. band — a music group
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. band — a ring
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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