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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · content · date · lash · mouse · shower · suit · fork

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — in cards
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fork — in a road
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. date — the fruit
  17. content — happy
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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