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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 · key · bay · root · bulb · last · content · suit

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — final
  5. root — the cause
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. root — of a word
  9. content — the amount
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. last — to go on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. suit — clothes
  19. shower — rain
  20. root — of a plant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. suit — to fit

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