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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 120 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: stock · shower · tube · fall · cabinet · firm · mine · spell

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — steady
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — goods
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — rain
  21. spell — magic
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fall — the season
  24. mine — belonging to me

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