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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: wake · stand · chip · branch · saw · bound · craft · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — a division
  12. chip — to eat
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — to confront
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — a trail

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