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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: straw · face · rule · stock · chip · bank · saw · fan

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. chip — for betting
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — goods
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — to confront
  20. rule — government
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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