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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.

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: mate · charge · coach · wake · chip · safe · file · key

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chip — to eat
  5. key — in music
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — to breed
  8. file — a line of people
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. chip — for betting
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — in a computer

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