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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: mouse · cold · toast · wound · shower · stand · craft · dip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cold — an illness
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — a skill
  8. shower — rain
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stand — to bear
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. craft — boats
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. toast — bread

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