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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to click
  5. band — a music group
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — for betting
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — of ice
  20. band — a ring
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rule — government
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — a law

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