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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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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: dip · branch · chip · tube · patient · fine · face · lean

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — high quality
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lean — to bend
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — a container
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — all right

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