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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: shower · chip · bay · wound · tube · charge · bank · cue

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — a container
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — in control
  13. tube — the underground
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — rain

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