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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — a division
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — in control
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rash — hasty
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — a series

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