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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fine · arm · branch · chest · chip · wave · game · current

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chest — a box
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chest — of your body
  14. game — a match
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fine — high quality
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — happening now

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