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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: stand · perch · toast · shower · rule · band · rest · roll

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. roll — a list
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. band — a music group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rule — a law
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. roll — a cake
  18. band — a ring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. shower — rain
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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