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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: snap · content · shower · club · toast · rest · foot · rash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rash — a series
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for golf
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. snap — to click
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — to wash
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rash — hasty

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