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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: bank · charge · lean · wax · race · press · chip · pound

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chip — for betting
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lean — to bend
  13. press — to push
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — humankind
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. race — the arms race

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