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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: rock · stand · roll · straw · rest · chip · toast · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rest — a break
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — of the year
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. season — in sport
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. straw — a straw man

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