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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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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: calf · march · bank · rest · cell · season · chest · toast

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cell — in biology
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — a phone
  16. season — of the year
  17. toast — bread
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — of the leg

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