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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: race · pound · toast · season · stock · lean · staff · wake

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lean — to bend
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. lean — thin
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — in sport
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — a contest
  17. toast — bread
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pound — a weight
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — goods
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. race — humankind

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