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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. field — farmland
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — for betting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — a subject
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — to recline
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. current — happening now
  18. mug — a cup
  19. field — for sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mug — a face
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — a phone

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