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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: chip · rock · present · shower · lash · hand · ball · staff

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. present — there
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. present — the time now
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — a stone
  15. present — a gift
  16. chip — for betting
  17. shower — rain
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a great time

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