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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · toast · chair · key · charge · trunk · clip · wave

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. charge — electricity
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. charge — a price
  7. clip — for paper
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. charge — in control
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. key — the most important part
  20. toast — bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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