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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: mine · tube · stock · cabinet · lean · bowl · mouse · shower

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — a container
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — the underground
  15. shower — rain
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — to rest against

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