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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rule · dip · spring · chip · stick · charge · key

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spring — a coil
  3. key — the most important part
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. key — for a lock
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — of water
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spring — the season
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — in control
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rule — a law
  24. key — in music

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