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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: stock · chip · lie · bark · face · current · nail · band

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — electric
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. current — of water
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bark — of a tree

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