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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.

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 · bulb · kick · charge · mug · shower · jam · tear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — in music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. shower — rain
  13. charge — in control
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tear — to rip
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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