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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: spring · chest · charge · spell · chip · calf · board · prune

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — for betting
  8. board — to get on
  9. charge — a price
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — a committee
  20. spring — a coil
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. spring — the season
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — magic

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