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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.

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: object · club · charge · snap · shower · drill · mouse · lie

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — rain
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — to recline
  13. snap — to click
  14. object — a thing
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — the tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. object — to protest
  23. drill — army training
  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