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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 · lean · fork · cue · content · fan · jam · last

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — finally
  6. cue — for pool
  7. content — happy
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. shower — rain
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lean — thin
  20. last — final
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. content — the amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — to go on

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