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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: bear · kid · shower · ground · pit · charge · key · lie

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. kid — child
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. shower — rain
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ground — the earth
  14. charge — in control
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ground — a position
  21. charge — a price
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lie — an untruth

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