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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: season · can · stand · bay · rash · toast · trunk · tear

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. toast — bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. season — in sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. season — of the year
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rash — a series
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — to add flavour

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