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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · lean · safe · chip · perch · tube · ball · content

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — happy
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — rain
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — to wash
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ball — a dance
  24. perch — for a bird

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