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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 · shower · wave · wake · deal · fine · sharp · pit

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — to wash
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — all right
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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