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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: wave · object · charge · wind · chip · rush · lean · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — to protest
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lean — thin
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — an aim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — a thing

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