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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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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: fall · wave · shower · bore · cue · content · spell · bay

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — happy
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — rain
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — magic

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