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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 116 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: wound · rock · chip · bore · craft · ground · face · rule

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to confront
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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