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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. charge — a price
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. cell — in biology
  24. chip — to eat

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