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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: chip · arm · staff · leaves · chair · dip · kick · charge

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. charge — in control
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kick — in football
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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