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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: cabinet · shower · wake · mate · suit · rest · row · content

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — a line
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. shower — rain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — to breed
  20. suit — in cards
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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