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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rule — a law
  4. craft — boats
  5. firm — a company
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rule — government
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — a skill
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. branch — a division

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