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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: chip · bark · craft · face · cap · mate · straw · bank

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bank — for money
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cap — of ice
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mate — a friend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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