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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 116 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: file · wax · pass · spell · press · season · rash · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. file — a line of people
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. season — in sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. file — a document
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — of the year
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rash — a series
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. press — to push
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a tool

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