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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: toast · rash · bay · mouse · drill · shower · roll · bank

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rash — hasty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — a series
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — a practice
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. roll — a list

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