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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: root · rash · rush · clip · bank · sharp · game · face

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — of a word
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — a video
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — hasty
  24. root — of a plant

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