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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. last — finally
  5. file — a document
  6. branch — a division
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. last — to go on
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. chip — to eat
  22. last — final
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — for digging

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