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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · shower · key · cell · bowl · ball · lean · ruler

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — a price
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. charge — in control
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — rain
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — to bend

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