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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.

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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 · cabinet · wave · key · hand · chip · spring · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. shower — rain
  8. stock — shares
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spring — of water
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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