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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 120 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: chest · charge · safe · pop · staff · mine · wound · chip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — a price
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chest — a box
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — to eat
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. charge — in control

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