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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 · net · rash · spell · wound · leaves · rush · foot

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — for catching
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. spell — letters
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rash — hasty
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. season — in sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. season — of the year
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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