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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: arm · wake · charge · spring · temple · scale · sharp · chip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. charge — a price
  10. chip — to eat
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. scale — size or range
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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