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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: rule · mine · branch · chip · bore · stem · arm · bound

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. branch — a division
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — certain
  24. chip — to eat

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