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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: tube · key · chip · squash · wind · stock · lie · shower

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — the underground
  4. squash — to crush
  5. shower — to wash
  6. key — in music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. key — the most important part
  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