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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cell — in biology
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hand — in cards
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chip — for betting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hand — help
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — to hit hard

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