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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: row · kick · stand · scale · toast · wind

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — size or range
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — for weighing

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