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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · lie · roll · tube · chip · wind · sharp · mouse

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. shower — to wash
  3. tube — a container
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — a list
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. roll — a cake
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. shower — rain
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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