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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 120 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
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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: chip · lean · wind · wake · file · charge · coach · leaves

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. chip — to eat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wind — moving air
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to bend

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