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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: current · toast · chest · roll · shower · squash · hide · mouse

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. roll — a list
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a cake
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — electric
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. current — of water

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