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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kid — child
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rash — a series
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin

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