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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: leaves · branch · mug · rule · nail · club · chip · snap

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — a division
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — for golf
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a face
  22. club — a group
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mug — a cup

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