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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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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: mouse · chip · staff · dip · tear · rest · branch · safe

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — a stick
  23. branch — a division
  24. mouse — for a computer

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