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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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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 · safe · chip · stem · nail · mouse · bowl · key

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. shower — rain
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. chip — to eat
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. shower — to wash

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