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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — for catching
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — after costs
  14. tube — a container
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — in sport
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. file — a document
  24. temple — a place of worship

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