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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tear — to rip
  10. branch — a division
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — the underground

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