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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chip — for betting
  5. branch — a division
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ground — a position
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kick — in football
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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