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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: charge · can · snap · wind · temple · hide · key · row

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — in control
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — in music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — a line
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. charge — a price
  17. key — the most important part
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to click
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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