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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.

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: shower · snap · hand · pitch · charge · hide · safe · key

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — electricity
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — for a lock
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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