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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: stick · key · wave · chip · charge · bank · leaves · last

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. last — to go on
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — a price
  10. key — in music
  11. last — finally
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — in control
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. last — final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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