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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: fine · scale · key · charge · saw · chair · shower · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lie — to recline
  4. shower — rain
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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