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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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468
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: rest · chip · bat · charge · safe · chest · spell · bulb

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chest — a box
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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