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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — humankind
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — for betting
  12. craft — boats
  13. roll — a cake
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. roll — a list
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bound — certain
  20. tear — to rip
  21. race — a contest
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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