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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.

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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: tube · branch · wind · spring · chip · pass · file · snap

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spring — of water
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spring — the season
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — a division
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — a coil

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