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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. band — a music group
  10. content — the amount
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — of the year
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. band — a ring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. content — happy
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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