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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 · bulb · rash · row · bay · saw · stock · toast

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — a series
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. shower — rain
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. stock — shares
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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