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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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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: chip · fan · board · wax · charge · lean · suit · straw

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to bend
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — in control
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chip — for betting
  24. charge — a price

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