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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 · mug · key · season · net · wave · date · suit

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. shower — rain
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mug — a face
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. season — of the year
  22. mug — to rob
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — the fruit

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