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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 116 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: sharp · lean · branch · chip · wave · bay · dip · hand

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lean — thin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. branch — a division
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — clever

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