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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bank — for money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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