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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: fine · cue · shower · bank · fall · current · content · wave

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — happy
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fine — all right
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — happening now
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — of water
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — the amount

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