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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — goods
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spring — the season
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — rain
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tube — a container
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — in cards
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — a coil

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