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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · present · lean · chip · tube · chair · sharp · chest

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. tube — a container
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — a price
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — for betting
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — thin
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to bend
  23. present — a gift
  24. chair — a leader

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