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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: patient · branch · bank · chair · chip · deal · rush · mine

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — a division
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rush — hurry

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