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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: staff · mug · toast · season · hand · fall · stock · squash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hand — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a face
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hand — help
  16. toast — bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a cup
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — shares
  23. squash — to crush
  24. toast — the most admired

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