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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 · branch · rest · bat · shower · bank · calf · staff

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bank — of a river
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. shower — to wash

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