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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — a stick

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