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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. band — a music group
  10. toast — bread
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. season — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — of the year
  16. lean — thin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bank — of a river
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. band — a rubber band

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