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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bank — for money
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cold — an illness

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