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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.

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: dip · patient · chip · key · branch · wound · press · wake

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — a trail
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. key — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — the most important part
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. dip — to sink
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. patient — a sick person

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