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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: mug · stock · fan · wake · straw · chip · shower · last

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — to go on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mug — a cup
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — shares
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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