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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 124 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: craft · chip · current · bank · rush · bark · spring · rest

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. spring — of water
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spring — the season
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — of water
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — what's left
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — happening now
  24. chip — in a computer

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