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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chip — to eat
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — a division
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lean — thin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lean — to bend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — on the skin

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