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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: cabinet · can · pop · mouse · chip · lie · object · branch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — a thing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — an aim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pop — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — soda
  24. object — to protest

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