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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a document
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — hurry
  22. file — a tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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