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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: wind · mouse · toast · march · row · shower · stand · prune

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. toast — bread
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. march — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a line
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — to bear
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. march — the month
  20. shower — to wash
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mouse — the animal

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