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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 116 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: spell · chip · fine · rule · prune · patient · branch · wind

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. fine — all right
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — letters
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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