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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: stick · face · nail · lean · pitcher · bank · chip · cap

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — to eat
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to confront
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — thin

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