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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: season · pop · sharp · stand · lean · toast · jam · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stand — to bear
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lean — to bend
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. last — final
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. last — to go on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — thin

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