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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 120 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: sharp · can · chest · pop · chip · shower · mouse · lean

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — a tin
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — soda
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. pop — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chip — to eat
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — in 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