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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: key · charge · jam · club · deal · spring · lie · shower

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. spring — of water
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lie — to recline
  12. charge — in control
  13. club — for dancing
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — for golf
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. key — for a lock
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spring — the season
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — to wash

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