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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. land — to come down
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. roll — a cake
  11. land — a country
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. roll — a list
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. branch — a division
  19. chip — to eat
  20. land — ground
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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