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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 · chest · staff · degree · mouse · bulb · track · can

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a song
  13. degree — temperature
  14. track — a path
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — employees

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