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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.

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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: degree · trunk · chest · charge · bound · face · safe · chip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. charge — a price
  3. degree — from a university
  4. charge — in control
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bound — obliged
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bound — certain
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chest — of your body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — a box
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — to eat

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