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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: branch · chip · present · coach · wave · wound · snap · date

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. present — the time now
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — the fruit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. present — there
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — a gift
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — for betting

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