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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: charge · wave · content · wind · key · shower · suit · spell

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — letters
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — in control
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. key — the most important part
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. suit — clothes
  17. key — for a lock
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spell — magic

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