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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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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: snap · safe · key · shower · charge · calf · wind · band

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wind — moving air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. key — the most important part

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