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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: charge · kick · staff · chest · wave · bank · deal · spring

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. staff — employees
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spring — of water
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — a price
  15. spring — the season
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — a box
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kick — a thrill
  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