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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 · shower · trunk · hide · cue · mouse · key · cell

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. shower — to wash

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