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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
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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: mate · land · deal · cap · shower · wake · content · cabinet

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wake — a trail
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — happy
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cap — a lid
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cap — of ice
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. land — to come down

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