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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: lean · prune · tube · branch · band · fan · chip · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — a division
  3. lean — to bend
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — thin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tube — a container

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