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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — a division
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to sink
  16. squash — to crush
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chip — for betting
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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