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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — there
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. kid — child
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. drill — army training
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — for betting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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