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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 120 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: deal · bank · root · lash · hand · face · band · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. band — a music group
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — help
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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