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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: face · wave · bank · mate · pound · sharp · chip · spring

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spring — of water
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — a coil
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mate — a partner

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