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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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468
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: rash · cell · branch · file · calf · firm · dip · chip

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. dip — to sink
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a document
  11. firm — steady
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — a series
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. firm — a company
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chip — for betting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. cell — in biology
  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