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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · suit · hide · chair · spell · charge · cold · chip

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chair — a leader
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — in control
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cold — not warm
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — in cards
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — letters
  20. chip — to eat
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — a price
  24. spell — magic

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