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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: face · game · sharp · craft · rock · bank · firm · bat

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — a company
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — to point toward

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