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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
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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: hand · patient · chip · rest · mug · branch · key · land

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. branch — a division
  10. mug — to rob
  11. key — in music
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mug — a face
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — a country
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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