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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: content · kid · wake · deal · shower · coach · fine · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kid — child
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. content — the amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. content — happy
  24. wake — before a funeral

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