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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: patient · safe · saw · perch · chip · club · lash · branch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. club — for dancing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — a division
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  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