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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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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: mark · toast · rest · march · mouse · shower · band · stick

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a music group
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rest — what's left
  6. toast — bread
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a trace
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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