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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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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: patient · cell · branch · chip · tear · perch · charge · nail

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cell — in biology
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. chip — for betting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — electricity
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. perch — the fish

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