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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: wave · mouse · shower · staff · tube · stick · content · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — a container
  19. shower — rain
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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