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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: hide · shower · file · jam · stock · rash · tube · lash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — a series
  14. file — a document
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — to wash
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rash — hasty
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. file — a line of people
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stock — shares
  24. lash — an eyelash

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