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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: lie · key · net · charge · mouse · hide · fork · stick

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — a price
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — in a road
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  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