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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 · spring · row · cue · content · leaves · mark · pit

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — to wash
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — rain
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mark — a trace
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cue — for pool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spring — the season
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — a line
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. content — the amount

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