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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. file — a document
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — soda
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — magic
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pop — music

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