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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 116 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: content · leaves · fork · lie · shower · pass

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. shower — to wash
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — a permit

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