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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: rest · wound · tear · rash · spell · craft · leaves · pass

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rash — a series
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rest — a break
  8. craft — boats
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — letters
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — hasty

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