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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · charge · chip · ground · date · key · lean · tube

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ground — the earth
  10. date — the fruit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — thin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ground — a position
  24. charge — in control

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