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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: lean · toast · fine · pitcher · current · drill · shower · pop

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — to wash
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — army training
  11. current — electric
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — the tool
  15. current — of water
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitcher — a jug

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