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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · drill · saw · fan · hide · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — in control
  7. key — in music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — a price
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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