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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: kid · charge · leaves · chest · key · pit · suit · hand

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kid — to tease
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — in control
  5. kid — child
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chest — of your body
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. suit — to fit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chest — a box
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — help
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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