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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: saw · content · toast · jam · shower · bay · fine · fall

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fine — high quality
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. content — happy
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. content — the amount
  24. shower — rain

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