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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: roll · squash · season · date · bound · staff · arm · toast

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. staff — a stick
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — obliged
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — the sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — bread
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — the fruit
  22. roll — a list
  23. bound — certain
  24. squash — to crush

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