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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: shower · mouse · lean · roll · prune · toast · stand · stock

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — bread
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — shares
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. roll — a list
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. toast — the most admired

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