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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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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 · clip · plane · mouse · branch · rock · content · rule

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. content — the amount
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. content — happy
  8. branch — a division
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. clip — for paper
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — to eat
  19. clip — a video
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — a stone

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