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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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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: chip · hide · kid · pop · object · rule · wave · branch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. object — a thing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. object — an aim
  7. pop — soda
  8. kid — to tease
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — a law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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