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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: last · stick · cell · season · rest · present

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — to go on
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — of the year
  7. present — a gift
  8. last — finally
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. present — there
  12. season — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — final
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left

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