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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: pop · pass · roll · shower · toast · kid · branch · wind

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. toast — bread
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pop — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kid — child
  20. roll — a list
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pop — soda
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — a division

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