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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · bass · season · mine · stem · straw · bank · roll

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mine — for digging
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bank — for money

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