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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 120 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: bank · straw · last · season · chest · firm · bear · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — a box
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — in sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. firm — steady
  13. last — to go on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. chest — of your body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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