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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: tube · chip · lash · stock · kid · root · pit · shower

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. shower — to wash
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. root — the cause
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kid — child
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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