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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: chair · branch · chip · lash · board · rule · can · snap

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. snap — to click
  4. chair — a leader
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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