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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: mark · hide · bank · craft · face · cabinet · track · sharp

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. track — a song
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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