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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 120 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: branch · staff · chip · face · rule · mouse · arm · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — a law

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