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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 · staff · drill · trunk · rash · snap · suit · content

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. content — the amount
  5. shower — to wash
  6. drill — army training
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rash — hasty
  12. content — happy
  13. staff — employees
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. snap — to click
  23. suit — clothes
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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