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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: wind · branch · chip · tube · staff · vault · bound · clip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. branch — a division
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chip — for betting
  12. clip — a video
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. clip — to cut
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. clip — for paper
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bound — tied together

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