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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 116 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: wave · wind · craft · charge · chair · key

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. charge — a price
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — in control
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — boats
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wind — moving air

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