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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chair · prune · safe · charge · fine · date · shower · key

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — high quality
  10. key — in music
  11. fine — all right
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. date — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. shower — rain
  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