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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
468
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: cabinet · lash · pitcher · arm · shower · tube · prune · chip

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — for betting
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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