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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — to eat
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — for betting
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — letters
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. date — the fruit
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cell — in biology
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spell — a short time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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