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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: lean · hand · cue · chip · nail · branch · ruler · fall

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — a division
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

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