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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: bore · rash · racket · vault · branch · spell · file · chip

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chip — in a computer

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