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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 120 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: track · season · lean · stock · fall · last · straw · temple

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — to bend
  5. last — finally
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. last — final
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — to go on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. season — of the year
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — a song
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stock — goods

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