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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: lie · shower · straw · tube · mouse · firm · stock · mate

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. firm — decided
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — goods
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — steady

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