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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: chip · temple · deal · chair · charge · bulb · chest · wound

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — for betting
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — in control
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chip — to eat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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