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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 120 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: chip · branch · court · lash · file · hide · dip · bowl

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. court — of a king
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. file — a document
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — for sport
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chip — in a computer

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