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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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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: chest · content · bore · suit · key · shower · current · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. bore — to drill
  10. content — the amount
  11. wake — a trail
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — electric
  14. key — in music
  15. shower — rain
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — a box
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. content — happy
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — for a lock
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — videos and posts
  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