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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 116 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: key · charge · rule · shower · wind · bore · swing · calf

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — to play on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — in music
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — electricity

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