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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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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: snap · spring · leaves · stock · press · chip · patient · branch

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — to push
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — of water
  5. press — a publisher
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. chip — to eat
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to click
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — in a computer

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