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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · stock · cap · season · press · spell · lie · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. toast — bread
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. spell — letters
  9. lie — to recline
  10. press — a publisher
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — to push
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a lid
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lie — an untruth
  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