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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 120 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: tear · chest · content · fan · leaves · shower · season · staff

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. tear — to rip
  4. season — in sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — rain
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — the amount
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chest — of your body
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — happy
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — to wash
  23. staff — employees
  24. tear — from crying

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