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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
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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: branch · straw · date · bore · chip · dip · wake · bear

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chip — to eat
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — to sink
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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