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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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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: chip · fall · kid · fork · branch · mug · pass · face

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mug — a cup
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to confront
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fall — the season
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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