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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · bulb · branch · chip · mine · stick · clip · mouse

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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