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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: stand · cabinet · shower · lean · toast · mouse · pass · tear

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — rain
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. toast — bread
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. shower — to wash

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