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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — to rip
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — government
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — in a computer

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