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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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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: suit · wind · present · pass · content · key · shower · lash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. suit — clothes
  3. present — the time now
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — rain
  11. present — a gift
  12. suit — in cards
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — to fit
  19. present — there
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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