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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: cue · can · charge · key · bore · fine · shower · chest

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. shower — rain
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bore — to tire
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chest — a box
  13. cue — a signal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — all right
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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