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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: mate · shower · key · kick · rock · club · hand · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rock — music
  5. key — in music
  6. club — for golf
  7. charge — a price
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — rain
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — in football
  19. mate — a friend
  20. key — the most important part
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for dancing
  24. key — for a lock

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