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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — magic
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rash — a series
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chip — for betting

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