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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.

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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: pit · spring · dip · bound · face · kick · chip · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — certain
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spring — a coil
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spring — the season
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  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