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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: prune · toast · saw · staff · bank · season · dip · can

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. toast — bread
  2. staff — employees
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to sink
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — for money
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. can — to be able to
  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