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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: bark · last · rest · suit · craft · rash · pass · tear

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bark — to shout
  6. last — final
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tear — to rip
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — a series
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rest — a break
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — boats
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rash — hasty
  24. last — to go on

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