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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: temple · branch · court · bear · fan · dip · chip · chest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — a box
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — to eat
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — for betting

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