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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: chip · lash · branch · hide · face · charge · fork · land

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chip — for betting
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to point toward
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. land — ground
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — a country
  19. branch — a division
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. land — to come down
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chip — to eat

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