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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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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: shower · charge · fine · tube · rock · saw · hide · key

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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