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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: toast · cabinet · chip · ball · charge · rule · leaves · wave

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — bread
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — for betting
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — a price
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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