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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: scale · squash · toast · wind · stick · arm · shower · bank

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — in music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. shower — rain
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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