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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · branch · wake · hand · rock · key · chip · stick

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. date — the fruit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. key — for a lock
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — in music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — a division
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — help

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