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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · rest · shower · coach · mouse · bear · stock · drill

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. drill — army training
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — happy
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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