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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
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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: staff · sharp · chest · charge · chip · temple · key · wave

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. key — for a lock
  11. charge — a price
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — in control

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