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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — the time now
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. content — happy
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. present — a gift
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — the amount
  23. present — there
  24. branch — a division

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