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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stand — to bear
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cold — not warm
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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